Friend of God…?
“I’m sorry girlfriend,” I said laughing as my friend Mandie and I stood at the door of the restaurant and looked out at the rain. “I don’t do wet hair!” I stood back, quite contented to wait until the rain stopped.
I had just met Mandie in person one day earlier after three years of corresponding by email and telephone. I knew we had developed a beautiful friendship via the internet but I knew for a fact that I had found a lifetime sister-friend when I heard these words in a sweet southern accent “Oh, that’s okay girl, I’ll go get the car.” On that note she cheerfully, ran through the rain to get the car and then got out again with an umbrella to save my hairstyle.
What determines true friendship? The above happened over four years ago and I’ve thought about it often. Being concerned about protecting a hairstyle may have seemed silly but at that moment it was important to me so it was important to my friend.
This is one of the ways that God shows us that he is a true friend to us, by paying attention to the things that are important to us no matter how small and trivial they may seem to others.
When I was a little girl there was a song I loved it said,
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys.
Give them all, give them all, give them all to Jesus
And He will turn your sorrows into joy.
I would ask my mother, “Does Jesus really care that my dolly’s arm is broken?” She’d always tell me that he cared about every thing about me no matter how big or how small. Consequently, from I was a little girl I knew that I had a friend in Jesus. If I could trust him to care about my doll why wouldn’t I trust him with my life? However for some reason I started wondering, does he feel the same way about me? Am I a friend of God? Can he call me friend? In my searching I read the story of Abraham in Genesis 15 and I found this verse in James which talks about Abraham.
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. James 2:23
I can’t list everything that Abraham did that led to him being called the Friend of God but I know that it all started with him believing God.
I also realize that it’s not humanly possible for us to be the type of friend to God that he is to us but I firmly believe if we’ve given our life to Him, if we trust Him, have faith in Him then we can all join in with Israel and New Breed and sing…
Who am I that you are mindful of me
That you hear me when I call
Is it true that you are thinking of me
How you love me it’s amazing
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend
God almighty, lord of glory
You have called me friend
Friendship isn’t something that I take lightly so every time I play the CD with this song I turn it up high and sing the lyrics with a sense of awe. Isn’t it truly amazing to know that almighty God, lord of glory, thinks so highly of us that he calls us friend?
It is an amazing thought that we are called friends of God!
I think this post has motivated me to be a better friend. And also has motivated me to be more caring about the little things in my children’s life. I tend to not be that sensitive. I would really like them to see that God cares about even the litttle things.
thank you Bernadine. i’m amazed that He calls me friend. i can hardly believe it. i’m not even a GOOD friend to Him, yet…
this devotion touched my heart. thank you.
Thanks for such a beautiful post dear one.
Thanks for so sweet post. Being called friend of the Lord…is so blessed a thing to me. And also thank the Lord that put so many wonderful sisters in my life..
hey ladies,
I love you so much I nominated you for a “thinking blog award.” here is the link for details: http://gentleartoflearning.blogspot.com/2007/07/who-would-have-thunk-it.html
continue to do what you do and may the Lord richly bless you.
Bernadine,
Beautiful post. Friendship with God is such an amazing concept. I still can’t get my mind around it all.
Wonderful Post!
What a beautiful post!
Beautiful. The words to the first song were from “Evie”; they brought back so many memories of my childhood, when I first found Jesus as my Lord. I would sing along with Evie for hours…on the 8 track tape!
My preschool class sang “I Am A Friend Of God” with motions and sign language for their parents at Thanksgiving. This made such an impression, we had requests to do it again on Mother’s Day. The words are powerful!
I am so glad that He calls me friend – it is amazing with my ‘track-record’ that He even pays attention to me.
Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us 🙂